Cory Booker: A Black Body on the Frontline for Democracy

Cory Booker speaking during his historic filibuster.

Senator Cory Booker did it. He broke the record for longest filibuster ever set by Senator Strum Thurmond in 1957 in defiance of the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Thurmond was one of those so-called “relics of the past,” even though he wasn’t the only one who harbored intense antiBlackness and segregationist beliefs, evidenced by him remaining in office until 2003. His death. A testament to America. Thurmond’s filibuster lasted for 24 hours and 18 minutes. A record held for 68 years.

A Black man breaking the record of a segregationist in defiance of a new age segregationist, racist, Nazi, and descendent of Klansmen is a beautiful thing to witness.

For twenty-five hours and five minutes, Booker laid out every criticism against Trump that American citizens have. He didn’t leave any stone unturned. He read letters from Americans who are disillusioned and have no hope under this presidency. He went into detail about how people can no longer afford to survive — whether it’s the expense of housing, the expense of groceries, the expense of medical care, and/or the expense of practically everything under the new tariffs. He spoke about job insecurity and low wages.

I know that someone will say that Booker’s filibuster was “performative.” It wasn’t.